Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-12-23
IN A cREMAroRY.
The Destruction of the Human Body by
InclnerntIon.

The following description of the ere
nation of body at the Fresh Pond ere
matory, Long Island, will be of interest TO
those who are unacquainted with that
mode OF disposing of mortal remaius, ms
well as TO the many who are becoming con
verts TO cremation ideas
The crematory is brick building, one
story In height and is divided into two
rooms. The iron doors of the retort opens
INTO the reception room, where seats are
arranged for the convenience of spectators
In niche in the wall of this room stands
glass urn which contains the ashes Of
sheep incinerated as an experiment in the
retort. The other room is occupied
mainly by the great furnace which glowed
with fervent heat on this occasion. A
glimpse could be had of the interior of the
retort through glass bull's-eyes set in the
iron door. The interior of the retort
glowed with beautiful rose color. Be
side the furnace suspended from the cell
Ing, was shallow ribbed Norway iron
CRIB, which resembled the lower portion
Of coffin cut in two through its side
diameter Immediately beneath this crib,
as IL hung suspended in the air, was a table
with casters under its four legs Into the
top of this table were set rollers which re-
volved at touch.
The body was brought into the crema-
tory incloSed in coffin case After the COM
pany had gazed upon the face of the dead
the attendant lowered the crib 10 the floor
beside the coffin. Two strips of muslin
resemblinga bed sheet cut in two length
wise were saturated in a barrel containing
alum water and spread over the crib. Then
the body was lifted from the coffin and
placed in the crib and wrapped in It's
winding sheet of muslin. The crib was
hoisted up and placed upon the movable
table. 1t was then taken to the front of
the furnace, distance of about twenty
feet. Two stout attendants wheeled the
table into position before the door OF the
retort, which was opened by means OF
two heavy weights arranged much in the
same way as those by which a man is
hanged. There was u good deal of I'M
screwing of iron nuts, and then the door
opened, glowing as if with Unsuitable de-
sire.
There was nothing repulsive about the
exhibition, however. In fact, the feeling
produced on those present seemed one of
awe at the transcendant beauty and awful
grandeur of the 1000 degrees Fahrenheit.
No billowy flames no cracking sound,
hut the ardent heat of the fire itself, soft
and roseate TO the eye, yet terrible in its
devOuring earnestness. The door was left
open just long enough to permit two men
10 seize long iron rods with wooden han
dies and to enable them to thrust the crib
with its sheeted burden into the seven
times heated chamber. Then the door was
lowered and closed with clang, and there
was more screwing of nuts and tightening
of bolts.
The process Of destruction was begun.
The two glass bull's-eyes, which had here
lotore glared with tigerish fierceness, now
began to grow dim and pale, clouded as
they were by the gasscs arising from the
dccomposng body, and these eyes would
remain clouded by the yapor of death until
the incarceration was complete, when they
would begin TO burn ardcntly again as
though looking for another feast
The attendant said that about two hours
would be required to reduce the body to
ashes. There remain only few handfuls
Of pure pearlv ashes, equivalent in weight
to about per cent of the original These
are dropped into the chamber below and
are drawn thence into an urn of terra
Gotta, marble, alabaster, or other suitable
material